A FEW of Michelle's favorite Toddler toys...

 1. Squigz - One of my new favorites.. toddlers are intrigued by the suction fun. Customer's are reporting these have a high entertainment value! Stick them to each other, the floor, the wall, the window (car window for a travel toy), to the table... we even had one customer sticking them to their bald dad's head!

2. Mountain Tunnel Bead Maze - an extra large wooden bead maze is intriguing to toddlers. This toy kept my kids entertained for long periods of time. Plus we always get people looking for non-messy toddler toys... and this one is perfect!

3. Good old fashioned fisher price telephone - remember your own childhood favorite toy? Well, this was one of mine!

4. A good wooden Brio or Thomas starter set is always a good bet for toddlers. We just got a shipment of both of these in stock!

 

Hope's Top 5 Toys for the Holidays

Our toy guru, Hope, gives us her top 5 favorite toys for the Holidays!

1.Picwits - like Apples to Apples but with Pictures!

2.Squigz - a sucky little toy... that is additively fun.

3.Boogie boards - Write on them then push the button to erase.  

   Great for doodling and practicing writing and math.

4. Kinetic sand - So fun to play with.  Leaves no residue on your hands.

5. Everything and anything by Janod..Magnetic maps  -
    Great wooden toys like the pictured magnetic USA map. 

Monique's Top Toy Picks for Christmas

I asked my staff to share with me their TOP 5 favorite items for the year.  Monique had trouble keeping it at 5... so we have a TOP 10 toy favorites for Christmas 2013 by Monique!

1.  Roll and Play: Child can start with just learning colors when very young and later on learn following directions.  Can be played with siblings.  (ages 18 months - 3 years)
2.  Squigz: Can be used for many age groups (versatile) + can be used in cars for car trips.  They stick really well to windows.
3. Block Buddies: Just plain fun.  Learn colors, shapes, and follow directions. Large pieces that can easily be handled.
4.  Straws and Connectors; Make large structures over and over.  Straws are very durable.
5.  Kinetic Sand: Clean, remained contained, and relaxing.  For young and not so young!!!
6.  Chocolate Fix Game: For the future mathematicians and engineers!!!  Fun and challenging.  Incremental learning!
7.  Recycled Paper Beads: Like that you can use old and new papers! Original!
8.  Dutch Blitz/ Spot-it / Pizza party: fast and small.  Can be carried in purses to have on hand at anytime.
9.  WordARound: For lovers of letter games!
10.  Boogie Boards.. write on LCD boards that erase with the click of a button.

Mother's Day Craft this Friday

This Friday, kids can come in from 6:30pm to 7:30pm to make a fun gift for Mother's Day.  We won't give all the details, (shh... it is a surprise for Mom).

Perfect for kids ages 4 to 12 years old.  Please RSVP to us by email or by phone (330-650-1295), so we can plan to have enough materials.

Craft will only take about 15 minutes to finish.

2012 - New Toy Hunt in New York City

It is pre-toyfair week. I am gearing up to head out to New York City this weekend for my annual hunt for new toys. It is always so exciting to see all the new toys that 2012 has in store for us.

Many people will ask me what is the hot new toy for 2012. But that is not what toy fair is about for this small toy shop. Instead of looking for that HOT toy (which by media and hype standards usually includes lots of bells, whistles, lights, batteries and such), we are out looking for that innovative toy that invites kids to be imaginative and use their little noggins. Sometimes for us the hot new toy is an old classic brought back. Some of my favorite finds for last year include the Airbolt, high powered air rocket, the Fastrack game, and Contraptions building toy.

This year I'm looking for great outdoor and active toys, new games, and new toddler toys. Keep tuned in as I will be posting throughout the trip.

Tell me what toys do you think I should carry in 2012?

Healthy Appetite

My husband tells me I need to update my blog and then in the next breath explains that he is eating a banana for the first time in 30 years. I wonder at that. "Why are you eating a banana?" "Because it is healthy for you. And I am going to eat more fruits and vegitables." So I ask "Why not stick with fruits and vegetables you actually like, it might make your endeavor more successful?". His reply "I figured it had been so long since I ate a banana I should give it another try". He went on to inform me that he will not be eating another banana for another 30 years.

What does this have to do with toys you ask? Not unlike our bodies, our brains are in need of healthy diet (ok yes I know a brain is part of the body). As the brain learns and grows at such an incredible speed in the first years of life, this is the time to start. A child's brains need freedom of time to explore and the proper tools in which to do so. Some of these tools might include simple things around the house, like a bucket. A bucket is a perfect tool to go exploring with, and collecting delightful little finds. Other tools might include blocks or a puzzle. Blocks for creative play and a puzzle for problem solving.

I could go on and on, but instead I will quickly make my point. A child's brain needs healthy tools to aid in healthy play. AND, unlike my husband's line of reasoning, there is no need to start with the tools we dislike (bananas in my husband's case). There are so many wonderful, fun and delightful tools (and toys) that the experience can be extremely enjoyable. Amazingly it is the seemingly simple activities and child's play that do the most in building pathways in a child's brain.

Great Christmas gifts for Grandma and Grandpa!

Definitely some of the most difficult people to buy for during the holiday season are Grandma and Grandpa. How many sweaters and kitchen gadgets can one have after all? A toy store might not be the first thing that comes to mind when shopping for the grandparents, but we might have some of the best choices! Here are our top 5 gifts for grandparents for the 2011 holiday and Christmas season:

1. Tilt (single player game) (the Staff's favorite for 2011!)
The goal is to slide the green sliders into the center hole without sliding in the blue sliders. Pick one of the 40 challenge cards and place the blockers and sliders according to the card. Then you tilt away until you've puzzled out how to slide the green sliders into the center hole without the blue sliders going in. A super fun game that is one of this staffs favorites!



2. Pathwords (single player game)
This is a single player game that starts out simple and becomes progressively more difficult. Players get a set of colored transparent shapes that they use to try on show the paths of the different words in the puzzle. All of the letters must be covered and be part of a word. This game is a fun twist on traditional word games.

3. Square Up (One OR Two player game)
Square Up will have your fingers and your brain racing simultaneously! To begin, shake the cube to find your pattern. Replicate the pattern in the inner 9 squares by sliding the tiles and slap down the frame first to win the game!

4. Forbidden Island (cooperative game for for 2 to 4 players ages 10 and up)
We picked this one for grandma or grandpa to play with the grandkids during the holidays!
Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Your team will have to work together and make some pulse-pounding maneuvers, as the island will sink beneath every step! Race to collect the treasures and make a triumphant escape before you are swallowed into the watery abyss!

5. Spot it! (a great game for grandparents and grandkids to play together)
This quick and easy to learn game is great for young and old to play together! Little kids do surprisingly well and older kids and adults are challenged (and sometimes humbled!). Each and every card ALWAYS has a match (just one) to every other card. Spot the match first and you get the card. The player with the most cards wins. The different sizes make spotting a match much harder than it might sound. This is our staffs all time favorite game for the last 2 years running. The box recommends 7 and up for ages, but after playing with dozens and dozens of kids we recommend ages 4 and up! A great game for grandparents to play with grandkids!